Killed: Mystery Suspense (Alaska Mysteries #3)

by S. C. King

  “Anyway,” he thought. “At least I enjoyed myself...”

  One week ago...

  Ross’ eyes were wide with fear and confusion, and Jack hated himself for that. “Tell me you have no memory of me kissing you before then.”

  Ross got up to pace the tiny room. “I admit, we had a relationship before.”

  “I’ll say.” Jack shook his head and followed Ross, walking him into the corner of the room. “You remember how it was, right?”

  Ross nodded nervously. “Let me show you things you know very well, Ross.” Jack didn’t give him a chance to move away, captured his head in both hands and kissed him, his tongue moving into his startled mouth easily, stroking over the roof of his mouth. He didn’t stop until he felt the resistance die a little. “Feel good? Right?”

  Ross’s eyes were closed, his mouth hanging open as he shook. Jack moved his lips over his jaw, up to his ear. “Remember this, Ross? Remember the last time I did this?”

  Jack licked lightly at the spot just under and behind Ross’s ear at the same time he moved a knee between Ross’s legs, relieved to find him hard. Maybe this would work. Maybe.

  “It was five years ago… at a convention… you came out of the shower, and I licked you dry.” He let his voice go husky and lust-filled as he spoke the words directly into Ross’ ear. “You came all over me.”

  “Please.” Ross’s hands were on his shoulders, but he wasn’t pushing.

  Jack sucked a little on Ross’s neck, his hands working to loosen his collar and get his shirt open. “You know I like it when you beg,” Jack whispered, moving now to the other side of Ross’s neck. He managed to get Ross’s shirt open and kissed, licked, and nipped his way down to one nipple.

  Ross bucked a little then, pushing Jack forward and trying to pull himself deeper into the corner. Jack responded by grinding his knee up against Ross’s erection, eliciting a long, deep moan. “Like that?”

  Ross bit his lip and Jack moved in. “Ross… my Ross… you taste so good.” Jack licked up his throat as Ross’ head fell back to expose it. His breath was heavy and Jack sucked on his Adam’s apple as he worked on his pants. Ross whimpered a little. “Easy baby… easy… that’s it.” Ross’ hips made tiny motions as Jack touched him.

  He kissed him then, as softly as he could manage… offering up a prayer of his own that it was enough to bring Ross back to him. Ross didn’t exactly kiss him back, but his lips parted easily enough and he leaned into Jack. After a few silent moments, Jack stood back, looking over his fully debauched lover, looking much less confused than he had ten minutes before. “You okay?”

  Ross shook his head and fumbled with putting himself back together. “I… we shouldn’t have… but…” He looked away. “Why did you come to me?” He shook his head. “I thought it was over between us.”

  Jack nodded. “That wasn’t my best move, I admit that. But, it’s going to be okay. We have so much to catch up to.”

  Ross managed to get his pants done back up. “Excuse me?”

  “We were a great team even outside the bed, remember? You’d even call us Bonnie and Clyde.”

  Ross was shaking his head, clearly still confused. “You must be joking?”

  Jack grinned. “Like riding a bike. Come on, I think I have the perfect plan.”

  “For what?”

  “Just be quiet and follow my lead.”

  Ross looked at him like he was insane, but followed him silently. They were half way down the room when he stopped and looked up at Jack. “I’ve done this before, but now it is different. I am a different man.”

  Jack nodded. “Yes, you are.” Ross nodded. “But, I still think you can do a last small favor for me.”

  Jack reached up for his duffle bag and tossed Ross a thin folder. “Read it, read it carefully, we have very little time.”

  Ross hesitated, then flipped the folder open and started reading. Jack set about pacing around the room. And then something blinked in Ross’ eyes and he grinned. “I knew you would like the challenge.”

  Jack chuckled. “Nothing is like the good old days, right?” Jack pulled out his lighter and lit a cigarette. “Now, tell me what do you think about my plan?”

  Ross’s eyes caught on the flames and held, his thoughts barely over the noise in his head, but Jack caught when he stilled himself as the flames died out. “Now what?”

  Jack turned to look at him. “That’s up to you.”

  Ross frowned and crossed his arms. “Oh?”

  Jack nodded. “Normally this is where we ride off into the sunset.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that.”

  “And, if I don’t want to go?”

  Jack hid his disappointment and took a deep breath. “Then we stay here, or you do. I can do the job by myself. You should know that.”

  Ross blushed and grinned, though he turned away to hide it. “Apparently I have an issue with that as well.”

  “You are joking.” Jack replied. “Seriously. If this is what you want, I won’t say I like it, but I saw you up there and you looked like you belonged.”

  “It didn’t feel like it.” Ross admitted, circling around the sofa and starting to sit down. “I wasn’t thinking righteous thoughts.”

  “Oh?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

  “I was thinking about you, and what we did in the past.”

  “Nice.”

  Ross watched him carefully. “I would like until the morning, if you don’t mind, to make up my mind.”

  Jack nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” He let a hand slide down over Ross’ back, hesitating only slightly before rubbing over his ass. “I’d be happy to work with you again. “

  Ross turned and shook his head. “Please, Jack.”

  Jack stopped and held out his hands. “Not another word.”

  “Good night.” Ross went towards the door, and Jack sighed.

  He was sure Ross was in. Positive. But, waiting wasn’t Jack’s best skill. So, he figured he should keep busy. He went once again through the folder and his plan, took a shower, and immediately felt a little better. He waited in front of the building, leaning on the car, and watching the people go in and leave. As the flow trickled down, he wandered inside, looking around for signs of Ross.

  “What are you doing in here?” Ross asked from behind him.

  Jack shrugged. “I’ve got a few free hours. So, I thought you might want to get lunch together.”

  “I am in.” Ross said seriously. “Now you should go.”

  “See you later, then...”

  Chapter 9

  That was how Jack Stone hired a policeman to do his work. He knew Ross, and was willing to bet his life that he would never let him down. As it turned out, the job was done splendidly to the last little detail, but the police had all the same arrived at his door. Jack’s only hope now was that the last copy of the tape had been destroyed, and there wouldn’t be any more proof of his crime.

  A noise from outside his office door attracted his attention. His secretary was supposed to send everybody away, but there she was, opening the door and letting in the last person he wanted to see in here.

  “You lied to me,” was the first thing, Ross said, while coming closer. “You said it was all a joke, and the boy would be just scared and nothing else.”

  After Jack stopped appreciating the irony of the situation, he tilted his head and looked at Ross thoughtfully. Appraising him, kind of. Ross tried not to react to it, but it was hard. He hadn’t seen Jack in almost a week, and the urge to look back, to make an overture, was strong enough to make his hands tremble. He clenched them into fists on his knees, and kept his eyes on the far wall.

  “You know,” Jack says, “that uniform suits you.”

  Ross’ eyes snapped to Jack before he could stop himself. Jack was leaning against the desk of his big office, smirking, his body language daring Ross to make a move. And it may have been too many years and Ross may not have touched another man in all that ti
me, but it only took half a second for him to remember every time they had laid hands on each other, and another half a second to get hard. Then he was up, across the room, and in Jack’s space before either of them draw another breath.

  The kiss was long and hard, with both men trying to get the upper hand. “You still lied to me,” Ross said, when they came up for air.

  “I didn’t,” Jack protested. “You simply assumed that the snake would not do harm.”

  “He died, Jack...”

  “Actually, that was the whole point,” Jack sighed, and sat back down. “You stay quiet and no one is going to find out about your part in the story.”

  “They assigned me to help with the case,” the man said exasperated. “Do you have any idea what would happen if someone finds out?”

  “We both go to prison for life,” Jack laughed. “We both knew the risk we were taking from the very start. And, I thought that you like taking risks?”

  “This is different,” the other man insisted.

  “You shouldn’t have come here then. The police are already investigating me.”

  “Shit,” Ross exclaimed, and went for the door. “Never contact me again.”

  Jack watched him leave, and thought of all the times they went overboard and together overlooked social and moral boundaries. Ross had been his way to say to the whole world that he didn’t care, and that he was free to do whatever he liked. Things in his life hadn’t turned quiet as he had expected, but still Jack had managed to survive. Why not, anyway? If they would dictate to him how to live, why shouldn’t he do the same with others?

  From the moment he met Ross, things had escalated, as they both wanted more from life. Their mutual attraction had only made things between them more intense, and the secrecy only added to the fun.

  Jack had always been the one with the upper hand in their relationship, and not only because of his money or power. Ross was the shy and quiet one, always ready to go back and forget it all. But Jack would not let him. Their hot, passionate affair from years ago had ended when Jack got hold of his father’s business and Ross entered the police academy. Jack had thought that he would never see him again. Until... until he needed him...

  An important part of their relationship in the past had been the crime – they both had enjoyed doing a few illegal actions, just for the fun of it. They robbed a diner, stole a few credit cards, took part in a fraud... When they separated, Ross wanted to forget all about it, but Jack wouldn't let him. He needed to remember, needed to know that there was more in life than work and his stupid job.

  And that was when Rick Lowson came into the picture – young, intelligent, with a bright future in front of him, Rick was everything Jack had wanted...

  Chapter 10

  Two days ago...

  Ross had everything ready for the job. The package with the snake had already been delivered, and the house was empty with the exception of the target. Jack had been very careful with the details, and Ross knew the code to the alarm system and the correct position of every room in the house.

  He waited for the neighbors to go to work, school, or simply get inside their houses and approached the house. It was early in the morning, therefore, not the usual time for robbers or killers to wander about. But the timing was perfect for his job. The man’s father had left the house with his car half an hour ago, and there was no one coming in for at least another twenty four hours.

  This wasn’t the first time Ross had been caught in the middle of a similar situation. Ross, however, had managed to pass it off as a joke in the past. It has been pretty easy. He had broken in houses, burned down shops, and stolen money...

  He had even killed before... for Jack...

  Ross didn’t think that he’d ever been this ruthlessly efficient in all his life. He had struggled with the first SWAT Team member with the usual small amount of fuss. Strikes, blows, that one moment of equal tension, and then Ross won out in the end, like that had ever been in doubt. He’d grabbed the officer’s helmet, flashlight, and Kevlar, and gone after Jack. But when he stepped into that hallway and saw Jack helpless, on his knees, with another officer closing in for the kill, then something inside him just snapped.

  The second officer never even knew what hit him.

  Jack blinked up at him from the floor, unused to seeing Ross be so cold, especially to officers of the law, but he accepted Ross’ hand up without hesitation. Jack’s fingers were hot, slicked with sweat, and impossibly strong in Ross’s grasp. They ended up nose-to-nose over the policeman’s body, silent understanding passing between them.

  Then, as one, they turned and dragged the two officers into the nearest closet.

  Ross pulled off the helmet and jacket again – he’d need a more complete disguise for their ultimate escape – and propped the flashlight up against the door frame to give them minimal light to work in.

  Jack yanked off his shirt in one smooth, easy roll of his shoulders and wiped off the sweat from his brow with it. In the tight space, Ross’s heaving chest brushed Jack’s back with each inhale. Ross didn’t say a word, just watched as Jack leaned over and expertly unfastened the first officer’s belt.

  “Well?” Jack hissed over his bare shoulder when Ross hadn’t done much more than stare for precious seconds. Ross shook his head and began disrobing the second officer; it was a lot harder than Jack made it look.

  He turned back to his own officer, and began removing his boots. Anything to keep from thinking about the tight space he and Jack were enclosed in together, and the fact that he had killed another human being.

  It was better to focus on the thick, sticky blood at the back of the man’s head where Ross had struck him hard with the butt of his gun. There were gentler ways of rendering a man unconscious, ways that caused less damage, and Ross knew at least half a dozen that would have been just as effective. Those wouldn’t have taken the edge off the rage he’d felt when he’d seen Jack cornered and trapped, though.

  Worrying about whether he was turning into a monster was always an effective diversion from worrying about whether his feelings for Jack were something more. Ross just wasn’t sure that they were an improvement.

  And that was the moment when the first officer decided to wake up with a moan. Ross spun around just as the officer realized what had happened, and swept out with his foot. Ross went down hard, and Jack swore, and somehow – amidst all the tangled limbs – Ross got his hand over the officer’s mouth to keep him from calling out for help.

  Jack dealt with the man’s hands, as per their unspoken agreement, and cuffed him neatly. A harder pistol butting this time, like what Ross had given to the other officer, and the two of them emerged victorious, tangled together on the floor of the closet, hot and sweaty and panting. And Ross was still in nothing but his underwear.

  “Hurry it up, already.” Jack’s voice was a ragged whisper, like some part of him was in pain, trying to hold back.

  Shaking, Ross rushed into the borrowed clothing. They were close enough in the darkness that Ross could feel the brush of Jack’s body with each turn and twist into the SWAT uniform. Arms brushing thighs, chests, and backs, all punctuated by sharp, harsh breaths. They all but fled from the closet when Ross was finally done.

  It all became trivial after that point, easy to fool the FBI, to move together with purpose out of the cordoned off area and out into the parking lot. The air hit Ross’s lungs hard and hot as they ran upstairs, down corridors, out into the comparative open of the parking garage. Beside him, Jack’s breaths struck a perfect counterpoint to his own, as if their bodies were moving together in one elaborate symphony, separate notes, but inextricably linked together in one whole, fluid, moving cadence.

  They didn’t stop until they reached the car, didn’t speak, didn’t think. The car doors shut behind them, and Ross could’ve sworn in that instant that he could hear the accelerated thump of Jack’s heartbeat, deep down in his throat, surging through his veins. Then Jack let out a slow breath, and Ross
realized that it was just his own pounding pulse. Maybe they’d been syncopated together, or maybe he’d just imagined it all.

  The desire was still there, though, throbbing just beneath the surface. As was the fear, sharp and twisting deep within his gut. They were both Ross’s constant companions these days, drowned out only by the most concerted efforts of Jack’s mischievous grins and light-hearted jabs.

  With a half-wistful sigh, he pulled off the SWAT helmet. Beside him, still acting upon the unspoken signals that kept them so perfectly in tune, Jack did the same.

  “Shit,” he murmured under his breath, dismissing the troubling thoughts and approaching the house carefully. It was easy to get inside, but Ross still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was again doing something stupid and dangerous all because of Jack. Their dysfunctional relationship had brought more than one problem into his life, but Ross had thought that it was all over. Until he saw him again.

  “Focus,” he said to himself, while looking for the package that had been delivered in the morning. Still closed, it was sitting on a small table in the corridor. Rick was still upstairs, probably washing up and getting ready for another day of work.

  Ross put on the mask, prepared the syringe, and carefully climbed up the stairs. The rest was easy – Rick put up minimal resistance and Ross was able to drug him, put him back in bed, open the box, and free the snake, all in ten minutes. After making sure that everything was in place and the young man had lost consciousness, he left, taking the empty box with him.

  Chapter 11

  Detective Davis was trying hard to put it all together, but it was obvious that, although it was Stone who ordered the killing, someone else did the actual deed. The interrogations so far had given no result, but Wood was optimistic that once they put all pieces together, Stone would have no other choice but to give up his accomplice.

  The case was declared a high priority one, and a lot of the police force was working on it. Both Davis and Wood had been staying in Stronghill and conducting the investigation from there. The truth was that there were too many unanswered questions, and so far no clue as to how the whole thing had played out.